


A Whole Ass First Love

by Pie_pecans_and_parrots



Series: How We Love In The Shadows [7]
Category: NCT (Band), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Shadow World Setting (Shadowhunter Chronicles), Anxiety Attacks, Curse Breaking, Curses, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fae & Fairies, First Kiss, Friendship/Love, High School, Homework, Immortality, M/M, Magic, Magic Revealed, Mark Lee (NCT) is Whipped, Self-Esteem Issues, Self-Hatred, True Love, Unrequited Love, Vampires, Warlocks, Werewolves, Zhong Chen Le-centric, and also a dragon, baby dragon chenle, glamour, human!jisung, human!mark, renjun is a wily warlock, ur a wizard chenle, warlock!Chenle, warlock!Kun, warlock!renjun, werewolf!Donghyuck, with dubious means but good intentions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-09-16 23:50:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16963815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pie_pecans_and_parrots/pseuds/Pie_pecans_and_parrots
Summary: How hard is it to go to one person’s house and keep your glamour on for little over an hour, and get your homework done without freaking them out and revealing yourself as an offspring of the devil? Hard. Very hard.





	1. A Whole Ass First Love

“Wake up, _hǔ zǐ…_ ”

Chenle shoved his face further into the pillows at Kun’s soft wake-up call. “Go ‘way.” He muttered. “’S too early.”

“Lele…” There was still fondness in Kun’s voice, but a definite note of warning now. “Don’t make me get you up by force…”

Chenle sat up quickly, casting the sheets off his body and practically tumbling out of bed. “Suddenly, I’m wide awake!” He proclaimed, sending Kun a wary and placating smile. His guardian’s idea of getting him up by force included transporting him directly into their local pond, for a quick and ‘ _refreshing…’_ wake up call. Kun smiled beatifically, jewel bright green eyes glittering in mirth. He pointed a long, lavender finger towards the en-suite in Chenle’s room.

“Shower, and breakfast – you’re already running late.” Then he turned and glided out of the room. The distinct scent of his burnt sugar magic followed him out – Chenle only noticing it when he felt the absence of it – so used to Kun’s magic always surrounding him. There wasn’t a moment where Kun wasn’t charming or glamouring or magicking something or the other – his guardian was powerful, more powerful than he let on.

Chenle took one last, long, longing look at his rumpled sheets. _What he wouldn’t give to stay in bed…_

He hated school at the best of times – but today was the first day back since prom night – wherein he had spent most of his night consoling his _whole ass first love_ about his _whole ass best friend_ who broke his heart. And now he had to face them both, heartbroken and completely pitiful.

Not that either of them knew that.

Haechan was too wrapped up in Mark to notice – and yeah, he loved Jisung, but the boy was a fool.

Which was also incidentally why Chenle had done their entire English project – because he was a suck up, and also terrified of getting below an A in anything, due to stupidly high self-standards.

To make matters worse – he had also agreed to go to Jisung’s house to help him learn his part of the speech – so not only would he spend his day pining, he would spend his _evening_ pining.

Chenle took a long hard look at himself in the mirror, once again – as he did every time he saw himself unglamoured – picking out everything wrong with the monster he saw in the mirror. The scales that coated most of his body reflected the light, with a oil-slick like rainbow sheen. He couldn’t help but hate his warlock mark – couldn’t help but fear himself, when Renjun was gifted with adorable horns and pretty deer-speckles on his skin, and Kun’s green eyes only added to his beauty, and his lilac skin and white hair just made him look like a pretty fae.

He looked like the result of a dragon hate-fucking a half-breed human, who then had a demon carry him to term before he was shat out forcefully onto a garbage heap.

He grimaced, revealing the small fangs, and immediately closing his mouth as another wave of revulsion made him shudder, and quickly wriggled his fingers – muttering the strong glamour spell that he had made Kun teach him when he had been only a toddler, and already aware of the fear in people’s eyes.

Unlike Renjun, who relied on Kun glamouring him before he left for school, Chenle was entirely self-sufficient. It took a lot out of him, but he was so afraid of accidentally being exposed and being helpless because of it that he kept it up from the second he stepped out of his bathroom to the moment he fell asleep at night. Any major lapse in concentration, and it would all fall apart. It was getting harder now, now that his classes were getting harder, and his feelings for Jisung took up more space in his brain.

* * *

 

Chenle hurried into the car, ignoring Kun’s sigh of long-suffering at his lateness and roughly shoved Renjun over to his side of the backseat. Renjun hissed at him, and flicked a spark of magic at him, which didn’t even sting. Chenle had found out pretty recently in a cooking incident at Donghyuck’s house, that his scales were pretty heatproof.

“Quit it, you two.” Kun said, sparing them a look in the rear-view mirror. “What time are you guys home tonight?”

“I’m home normal – but Lele’s got _date_!” Renjun sung, wriggling his eyebrows at Chenle, who felt panic and horror settle in his stomach.

“What- I do not!” he spluttered, clearly unconvincingly, as Renjun started to cackle in his horribly evil way, and Kun shot him a worried look. “I _don’t_! I’m just going to study-”

“With his _cruuush_!” Renjun interrupted, fluttering his eyelashes, “It’s totally a date, he wouldn’t shut up about it last Friday, because Jisung asked him before lunch if he’d help him with English and-”

“ ** _Stop_**.” Chenle regretted the accidental expulsion of magic the moment he did it, Renjun’s mouth shutting like someone had slammed his jaw shut – and Kun looked at him with something like disapproval and worry in his eyes. Chenle reached out to touch Renjun’s hand – the elder boy’s other hand coming up to massage at his jaw, and looking at Chenle with an unreadable expression. “I’m sorry, Renjunnie – I didn’t mean to.”

“S’okay, Lele.” Renjun muttered, “I’m sorry too.”

“Will you be alright with this… Jisung, Chenle?” Kun asked carefully – but Chenle knew what he really meant, and that familiar well of shame and disgust began to simmer in his belly again. _Will Jisung be safe with you?_ He knew he was a monster.

“Yes. I’m sorry.” He said again, looking determinedly at the window and fighting to get his expression under control.

* * *

 

Mark sat with them at lunch today, much to Renjun’s obvious disgust, as Donghyuck draped himself possessively over the boy. It was cute at first, but as the break continued, and they had progressed to feeding each other, whispering and giggling together, Chenle couldn’t blame Renjun for what he did next.

Hiding his hand under the table, Chenle felt the hair on the back of his neck rise as Renjun muttered a charm, and the bittersweet chocolate smell of his magic rose in the air. The next mouthful of food that Donghyuck went to feed Mark went widely astray, as if an invisible force had yanked his hand around, and smeared red sauce across Mark’s face.

Chenle broke into laughter at the panic in Donghyuck’s face, and Mark’s awkward spluttering as he rubbed at the mess. Sniffing the air, with narrowed eyes, Donghyuck turned slowly to Renjun – who’s cackling subsided at the murderous expression on the werewolf’s face. Swallowing thickly, Renjun stood up slowly, and pushed his lunchbox towards Chenle, who took it, still giggling. Donghyuck stood too, just as slowly, gently moving Mark down the bench.

The next second, Donghyuck launched himself at Renjun, clearing the table with a jump that was far too quick and accurate to be human – but it had happened too fast for anyone to really see, and the next second Renjun was sprinting from the cafeteria, Donghyuck on his heels, screaming at him.

Chenle turned back to Mark, who was sitting there, looking entirely nonplussed, with a bit of sauce still on his cheek. Taking pity on the other boy, Chenle reached out with a napkin and dabbed off the sauce, Mark sitting obediently still. “This is normal, isn’t it?” Mark asked, slightly unhappily.

Chenle smiled slightly, “You being with Hyuck is a _bit_ of a catalyst, but yeah – this is pretty standard.” He said. He couldn’t help the faint pang of bitterness that Mark inspired in him. Not only was Mark now dividing the attentions of his best friend, but it was clear that Jisung still had feelings for him. Jisung’s eyes – which had been fixed intently on their table and the back of Mark’s head met his. Jisung looked away quickly, and Chenle re-focussed on the boy across from him.

“At least you’re a normal functioning human,” Mark said with a secret, yet genuine, smile at him. Chenle’s answering grin was definitely strained. _If only._

Donghyuck had told them that Mark only knew about his status as a werewolf, and didn’t know anything about them – and as his new boyfriend was still ‘adjusting,’ they weren’t to say anything. So Mark currently believed he had a secret, that only he and Donghyuck knew about. It was kind of cute, in a sad way-

Chenle stopped his patronising line of thinking.

He had made a promise to _himself_ , that he would be kind to Mark – even if he had broken Jisung’s heart. Jisung’s heart was not his – and probably never would be – so he didn’t have the right to be angry with Mark.

“At least…” he said absently in response, unable to help his gaze drifting back to Jisung. He was smiling at something his teammate had said, but Chenle knew, that it was forced.

* * *

 

Chenle knew that he was getting tired, dangerously so.

In math, his last class of the day – and just after his gym class, in which they had been running sprints – to his horror, he had seen the skin on the back of his hand melt away slightly as his glamour faded, flashing his scales for all to see. The thing about them, was that they were _very_ reflective, and even after he quickly clapped a hand over it, focussing his attention on the frayed patch of glamour – he looked up to see Jisung’s eyes on him. On his _hand_ , with a confused look on his face.

Finally working his eyes up to Chenle’s face, Jisung smiled at making eyecontact – and Chenle felt himself blush violently. _That,_ at least, was covered by the glamour. Jisung leaned his chair precariously closer to Chenle’s desk, with only one hand keeping him steady, and all the confidence of an athlete that didn’t think his strength could betray him. Chenle’s heart fluttered at the simple display. “Meet me at the bus stop after school?” Jisung asked casually.

Chenle forced himself to nod like a normal mundane – and not violently vibrate in excitement like a crazy half-demon in love. “Sure. Are we taking the bus?”

Jisung nodded. “Yeah. Moth- _mom_ doesn’t drive.” He said, smiling uneasily, almost as if he was hoping Chenle didn’t catch his odd slip. Chenle did. But he didn’t press it. He knew all too well what it was like to have parental issues. Hell, his father was some rapey demon and his mother left him in a dumpster when his scales had grown in.

 _Jesus, he was depressing today_.

Chenle berated himself, and focussed instead on the way that Jisung’s perfect smile and perfect hair toss made his stomach flip and their teacher dismiss them a minute early.

* * *

 

Chenle had to fight his way through the crowds surrounding the school bus. The bus was for two other schools in their area, and as such – a last resort for students at their own school – which was private, and notoriously posh. Chenle knew that it had been some sort of magic that had gotten Renjun and him in – due to Kun’s desire to give them the best of everything.

The uniforms of the students at the stop were unfamiliar, and he stood out in his stupid blazer and his school knapsack. Surreptitiously, after a look around at the other kids, he charmed his blazer into a jacket, and his knapsack into a branded black backpack like one belonging to a student he had to duck around. At the slight throb at his temples and a sudden wave of lethargy, he knew that it was probably a stupid waste of energy and magic. And yet, his passing was suddenly easier, and he made it to the actual bus stop sign in no time.

A tap on his shoulder made him turn, to see Jisung – already wearing a grey hoodie over his school shirt, and his blazer no where in sight. “Nice jacket, bro.” he said, nodding at Jisung’s glamoured blazer.

Chenle fingered the material, wincing inwardly at the thinness of the magic upon the fabric. “This old thing?” Jisung laughed softly for some reason, and nudged him, making him sway slightly. Chenle savoured the brief brush of contact.

The bus rumbled into sight, and as the crowd of teenagers surged forwards – Jisung wrapped an arm around Chenle’s shoulders, pressing him to his taller frame as he began to push forwards – bringing them to the front of the crowd, and consequently, in front of the bus door. Chenle felt like he was on fire, his cheeks flaming, as Jisung directed him towards a seat near the back of the bus.

The seats were small, barely big enough for one adult, let alone two teens with bags. As a result, they were squashed together again. Jisung looked down at him, and grimaced. “Sorry man, I know this is… shit.” His smile was self-deprecating and almost ashamed.

Chenle bit at his lip. “Its an adventure.” He said quietly, just for Jisung to hear. Jisung looked away from him, lips curling up. Chenle smiled to himself, heart pounding.

The bus got emptier and emptier as they continued on the route – until finally it was just the two of them. Jisung didn’t move to the row next to him, though, just stretched his long arms, and gently laid them along the back of Chenle’s seat. The scales on the back of his neck tingled at the touch.

With a shuddering hiss like the bus was sighing, it halted at a stop with a dishevelled signpost. Jisung stood up – and hoisted his bag over his shoulder, picking up Chenle’s with his free hand before Chenle could grab it. With a wave to the bus driver as he got off, leaving Chenle to hurry after him, smiling awkwardly at the man sitting behind the wheel.

“You don’t have to carry my bag, Jisung.” Chenle said, as Jisung took off at a brisk walk down the street, Chenle’s bag still in hand.

Jisung turned, “it’s the least I can do, Le – you’ve done the whole project, saved my ass,” he coughed, and turned around, “listened to me rant about Mark…” he finished quietly. Chenle felt his heart sink at the mention of the other boy. “You’re too nice to me. I don’t deserve it.” He said, even softer.

Chenle’s felt his chest tighten. “W-what? Jisung, yes you _do-_ ”

“And here we are!” Jisung interrupted loudly, pausing in front of a small house, overrun with ivy and disrepair. He didn’t look at Chenle. “It’s small, but-”

“It’s charming.” Chenle said firmly. _And Charmed_. He thought to himself. There was an old magic on the land underneath the house, he could feel it.

“Y-yeah, I guess.” Jisung said uncertainly. He drew himself up, giving a little shake of his head. “Anyway, let’s get going.”

 

* * *

 

Jisung’s room was plastered with posters from wall to wall, small lamps lighting the space instead of his overhead light – which was missing a bulb. Chenle was reminded of the warm light in his own house – Kun preferred lamps for the power bill, and Renjun liked candles for the drama. His bed was made, and there was a book poking out from under his pillow. Chenle read the title on the spine. _Dragons and Mythology._

Interesting.

So perhaps Jisung had a history of magic in his family.

Jisung reappeared in the doorway holding a box of crackers and two cups of juice. Chenle straightened, putting down the cue cards he was fiddling with to help Jisung set down the food. “So, Jisung… did you inherit this house? From a grandparent or a cousin…” Chenle asked. He couldn’t deny he was curious about the protection warding on the land. It wasn’t anywhere near as strong as other warlock’s home protection charms, but that might have been because it was old. Jisung was definitely not a warlock – and though Chenle considered him to be as pretty as a faerie – he wasn’t a fae either.

Jisung looked at him oddly. “Um… no. We got this cheap because the previous owner had to give it to the bank.”

 _Ah_. _Right_.

Chenle didn’t even know why he had even brought it up. He was thinking nonsensically, in tired circles. “Cue cards?” he said stupidly instead. Jisung eyed him again, but picked up his bunch, and flicked through it. Chenle’s eyes followed the movement of his fingers, vision blurring for a moment as another wave of dizzying tiredness washed over him.

 _He had maybe pushed it too far today._ He thought belatedly, as he felt the charm melting from the jacket. Behind Jisung, the backpack faded away to reveal his knapsack. He swallowed nervously.

“Hey, what’s that movie?” he asked loudly, pointing at a random poster behind Jisung. Jisung looked up, and then in the direction of his finger, searching the wall – giving Chenle a split second to rip off the jacket that faded into the blazer as he touched it.

He shoved it under Jisung’s bed as the boy turned back around. “Which one- oh, you took your jacket off.” He said confusedly.

Chenle nodded jerkily. “Yeah it’s… hot. In here.” He said haltingly, and fanned himself with the cards unconvincingly. It was freezing. Jisung stared at him.

“Are you okay Chenle? You’ve been acting weird all afternoon.” Jisung asked hesitantly.

Chenle could have laughed. How do you tell someone – ‘oh sorry, the reason I’m acting like a fucking weirdo is because a) I’m an exhausted warlock trying to keep up appearances who is b) hopelessly in love with you and you keep making me blush.’

Instead he busied himself with the cards again. “I think I’m running a temperature.” He muttered. “Did you want to keep running over those cards whilst I go to the bathroom?”

“Uh, yeah, sure. First door on the right.” Jisung said uneasily.

Chenle couldn’t ignore it. _Great, now he was scaring Jisung – still looking human._ Though if he didn’t leave soon, he wouldn’t be human much longer. His head was pounding, and he could feel his glamour completely gone on his chest and hands.

_He needed to call Kun._

He stumbled out of Jisung’s bedroom, and hurried into the bathroom, clumsily closing the door behind him, and sinking to his knees on the white tiles. Propping himself up against the bathtub, he dug around in his pockets for his phone, hands closing on nothing. Heart stopping – he realised where it was.

Deep in the breast pocket of his blazer, under Jisung’s bed.

Second by second, his tenuous grip on his glamour was fading – his headache was growing stronger, his magic was growing weaker – and, _shit_ , he could hear Jisung’s feet on the landing.

“ _Chenle? Are you alright in there?”_

Chenle’s heart stopped as he lifted his hand to pull himself up by the sink – taking in the black, shiny scales and silver claws. “I’m – I’m fine! Don’t come in!” his voice was weak and high in his alarm.

“You don’t sound so good…” Jisung’s voice was closer now.

_No._

_No, no, no, no, no!_

Chenle’s alarm turned into full-blown panic as he heard Jisung outside the door. If he came in – if he saw Chenle like this… terrible and ugly and nightmarish – Jisung would never look at him again. He felt his throat constrict as his breath came faster in his lungs, heart pounding too fast. _He was disgusting, horrifying – not even a mother could love his face…_

“Go away – _please_!” Chenle heard his voice break, and couldn’t help but release the sob catching in his throat, a tear falling from his eye. It fell with a dull clink to the floor, the familiar painful tear in his tear duct giving way to real tears – until he was crying too hard to see.

He could hear the door creak open, and scuttled around out of sight – cowering between the bathtub and the toilet, turning his face into the porcelain of the wall. He didn’t realise he was whispering aloud – “ _Please…please…please…”_ – brokenly to no one.

“Che-Chenle?” Jisung’s voice was barely a whisper, footsteps sending Chenle’s diamond tears skittering along the tiles as he approached. “What’s wrong? You-” he broke off with a low gasp, and Chenle felt fingers on the back of his neck, on the pact of scales there, wandering down, and stroking over the membrane of his wings. He shuddered, fresh sobs making him curl into himself further. “What are you?” Jisung asked, voice unreadable.

“Monster.” Chenle muttered, a dull sort of sadness making him numb – as all of his fears were realised at once.

“What?” Jisung asked, and Chenle heard him settle on the floor behind him.

“ _A monster.”_ Chenle spat. Jisung sucked in a low breath.

There was a long silence, and Chenle felt his heart break all over again. Then, a breath. “Have you ever eaten somebody?” Chenle shook his head slightly. “Hurt somebody?” Chenle nodded. “On purpose?” A shake again. “Then you’re not a monster.” Jisung said, with a note of finality.

At this, Chenle lifted his head slightly, hiding behind his hair as much as he could. “What do you mean? Look at me – I’m-”

“Like nothing I’ve ever seen before…” Jisung said, a sort of awe in his voice. “You’re kind, Chenle, you’re a good… person-”

“ _Person?”_ Chenle felt a wave of revulsion pass through him, and he turned fully – to fix Jisung with a stare, to give the boy who owned his heart a good, full look at the hideousness of his visage. “I’m a _monster_ , a half-breed. A demon.”

Chenle knew what Jisung saw. Scales covered the majority of his body – his legs, his hands, the top of his arms, his chest, his shoulders, which sprouted deformed, stunted leathery wings that didn’t work, the back and sides of his neck, his ears and creeping down a little past his hairline, framing his face – his human face, so out of place, with his monster teeth, and ice-blue human eyes, still crying diamond tears that made his tear ducts bleed enough to colour his whites red.

He knew what he was-

“ _Beautiful_.” Jisung said quietly, eyes wide. “Can I touch them?” he asked, with wide-eyes. Chenle swallowed nervously, shock turning his blood to ice and his muscles to stone. Jisung carefully reached out, and ran his fingers over Chenle’s arms, following the slight spiny ridge that led to his elbow. And then he went up, up, up, ghosting over Chenle’s shoulder, and to his neck – touching the smoothest, thinnest, softest scales that were hidden near his ears and under his jaw and making him shiver. No one had ever touched him so carefully, so softly.

Jisung wasn’t finished.

With a reverence that made Chenle uncomfortable, he scooted closer, and reached out with his other hand as well, following the contours of the scales that melted into skin under his cheekbones. And then – feather-light, over his cheeks. Chenle’s eyes fluttered shut – afraid to move, to blink, to breathe. Jisung’s fingers continued their path, tracing over his eyebrows, his eyelids, pausing at the corner of his eyes, where one diamond still hung from an eyelash. A finger traced his bottom lip and Chenle couldn’t help it – eyes flying open in shock.

Jisung’s face was very close to his.

“You’re incredible.” He said quietly.

Chenle blinked.

“Are you okay?” Jisung asked, hands still on either sides of Chenle’s face. Chenle swallowed, unable to get words to form, either in his head or on his tongue. The tear finally fell, with another tinkling clink. Jisung’s lips parted, a smile growing. “You cry _diamonds?”_

Chenle nodded shyly. Jisung laughed. “You’re like the Golden Goose. No wonder you don’t tell people – you’d have people making you cry all the time.”

“More like I make people cry all the time.” Chenle muttered. He pulled back from Jisung’s grip on his face.

Jisung’s brow creased. “What do you mean? You’re like… a pretty dragon-boy. What’s to cry about?”

Chenle couldn’t understand what was happening. “Am I dreaming?” he asked aloud.

Jisung laughed. “Well I thought I was for a second there – so I guess not.”

“Why aren’t you afraid?” Chenle demanded, confusion taking control of him.

“Why would I be afraid?” Jisung retorted. “All I was afraid of, was that you had passed out in my bathroom, and I would have to call the ambulance.”

Chenle gawked at Jisung. “You really aren’t afraid?” Jisung shook his head, shyly reaching out to touch the back of Chenle’s hand again. “I don’t look like a monster to you?”

“Monsters are hairy…” Jisung said, and looked up at him. “And besides, you could never be a monster. You’re just Chenle, my personal cheerleader and English saviour.” He cleared his throat. “You’re my friend.”

Chenle felt tears burning in his eyes again – for an entirely different reason. “Thank you.” He managed. Jisung looked at him, seemingly debating something. Then, in a movement that startled Chenle – he tugged him closer, and wrapped his arms around him.

Chenle went still in his hold.

Jisung didn’t seem to be letting go anytime soon – so Chenle slowly raised his arms to hug Jisung back. When he did, Jisung squeezed him tighter. “Also – I don’t think monsters are this tiny.” He said teasingly into Chenle’s ear.

Chenle blushed again.

* * *

 

Chenle lay in bed that night with a big fat happy grin on his face.

So maybe Jisung wasn’t his Romeo yet – but he was still Chenle’s friend. And he had _seen_ and he hadn’t even blinked.

_Jisung called him beautiful._

Chenle giggled to himself.

If being a warlock gave him anything, it gave him patience. He had all the time in the world. Literally. And he would be there for Jisung until the end of time.

Because Jisung was there for him.

_All of him._


	2. Curse Breaking 101: Active Participant Participation

Jisung noticed when Chenle didn’t show up to his weekend basketball practices.

Not only did he miss the cheering, but he missed all of his shots and passes. He didn’t know whether there was a correlation between the two, but he also noticed a definite lack of success without Chenle there. Even Donghyuck, who Jisung had reluctantly accepted into the team, could tell something was up.

“What is up with you, Jisung?” the auburn haired boy asked, eyebrows raised, as he watched what must have been Jisung’s fiftieth practice shot go awry. Jisung scowled darkly at the ball when Donghyuck passed it back to him.

“I don’t _know_.” He muttered. “I’m just… off my game I guess.”

 

* * *

 

That turned out to be an understatement.

Within the next couple of days, what was a string of missed shots in basketball turned into a ceaseless, cesspool of bad luck.

When Jisung woke up on Thursday to find out that his alarm hadn’t gone off, he hardly felt surprised. Then he missed the late bus, and had to run to school to make it as the bell for first break went. On his way inside he stepped not only on a piece of sticky gum, but tripped on a banana peel, falling dramatically, head over heels.  

Lying, looking up at the ceiling of his school hall way, Jisung truly wondered what god he had pissed off. Then a disappointingly familiar face appeared in his line of vision.

“There you are, Mr. Park. Skipping class, are we?” His head teacher stared down at him with a satisfied glint in his eyes. “That sounds like Friday detention to me.”

Jisung sat up quickly, head rushing. “But sir! I have the first game of the season on Friday!”

“Not anymore.” With a faint grin, his teacher started to head off down the corridor. “I’ll see you at 3:30, Mr. Park!”

Jisung groaned, and slowly collapsed back down onto the floor. The cool linoleum soothed the bump from his fall somewhat, and Jisung closed his eyes for small mercies. Then, a foot handed on his hand. Jisung let out a strangled sound of pain, and whoever had stepped on him gasped.

“What the– sorry! Wait – Jisung? What are you doing on the floor?” Jisung opened his eyes, blinking away his tears of pain, to look at Renjun’s surprised face. Jisung shook his head helplessly, cradling his fingers. Renjun’s eyes narrowed and he suddenly crouched down to look at Jisung – sticking his face close. Jisung’s watched him, pain in his hand forgotten as Renjun grasped his face, moving his head at all angles to examine him. With a quick movement that made Jisung hiss, Renjun pulled out a strand of his hair, and… _sniffed it._ “Wow. That’s a nasty curse you’ve got there.” Renjun sat back on his haunches, staring at Jisung.

Jisung blinked. “Sorry – what now?”

“A curse. You’ve got a curse on you.”

Jisung didn’t have the energy to react, instead, just sighing heavily. “I would.”

Renjun poorly concealed a grin, and stood. “Come on, we don’t have much time.” He extended a hand, and Jisung took it, letting the boy tug him upright. “And I want to finish my food before we start curse-breaking.”

“We?” Jisung asked warily.

“Uh, yeah. First chapter of Curse Breaking 101; You need to be an active participant in the curse-breaking – and besides, considering we don’t have long before it kills you, two pairs of eyes should help.” Renjun said cheerily, making his way towards the cafeteria doors.

“ _Kills me?”_ Jisung squawked. Renjun didn’t say anything just smiled, and Jisung hurried after him.

 

* * *

 

Jisung sat jittering at Renjun’s side as the boy ate his lunch. He knew Mark and Donghyuck were both staring at him in mild concern – Chenle with outright horror, but he couldn’t help but be nervous. He had just been told he was going to die. Probably.

He did trust Renjun’s analysis. Even if he wasn’t one hundred percent certain that the boy knew what he was talking about. Whilst Chenle had told him that his family were all warlocks like him – Jisung was yet to see any cool scales or pretty blue eyes that dictated any magical ability. Still – Renjun had looked pretty convinced – and he’d muttered something to Chenle in mandarin which had made the small boy go pale.

As his jiggling knee managed to hit the underside of the table, sending his water spilling all over him – Donghyuck cleared his throat. “Um. Are you alright, man?”

Jisung looked at Renjun worriedly – but the other boy remained as nonchalant as ever. “He’s cursed.” He said causally, through his mouthful of rice.

“Oh no!” Mark’s raw concern for his wellbeing used to make his heart race, and Jisung of a few months ago would have had to hide his blush. The current Cursed-Jisung just grimaced – right now, there were a few more important things than Mark Lee’s attention. “Are you going to be alright?”

“Apparently I’m going to die soon.” Jisung supplied. Donghyuck’s eyebrows went up and he whistled, looking to Renjun with faint question and no surprise at the magical revelation. Jisung wondered if everyone he knew was a warlock.

Chenle made a choking sound. Jisung sent him a half-smile. He supposed that even though Chenle had been a little distant lately, being that he was on his magical death bed, he should try and patch things up. Chenle just looked away, fingers drumming out a frantic pattern.

“If it’s the bad-luck curse I think it is, then it ends in death, yeah.” Renjun said, closing his lunchbox with a snap. Chenle looked at him sharply.

“I’m going to call Kun-ge, he’ll be able to help us-” he said lowly, looking paler by the second, and Jisung saw the faint glimmer of his scales as his panic spiked. He resisted the urge to reach out and pat the other boy’s hair. He hated seeing Chenle so anxious – it just reminded him of the incident in his bathroom, the abject terror and self-repulsion in Chenle’s blue eyes-

“No.” Renjun said firmly. “There’s no time. We have to do this ourselves.” Jisung blinked away the bad memory, focussing back on the conversation. Chenle looked like he was about to argue, when Donghyuck nodded, standing decisively.

“Mark’ll get us a table at the library.” He turned to his boyfriend with a faint smirk. “Guess we’re ditching last two.”

Mark looked like he was having a conniption, but as Jisung stood up – and promptly fell backwards over the bench, he nodded, sighing. Jisung groaned from his sprawled position on the floor. Renjun looked down at him, mildly irritated. “Come on, Jisung, we don’t have all day. Well. _You_ don’t.”

Jisung whimpered, and pulled himself upright. He should probably call his mom – tell her that he loved her. But honestly, she was the furthest thing from his thoughts. Instead, bizarrely, he was wondering what Chenle was thinking, as the white-faced boy practically ran out of the cafeteria. _Chenle would be able to break the curse, he felt sure._

They made a funny sight, heading towards the library, Renjun and Chenle’s tiny figures cutting a path through the herds of students, Jisung a step behind him, being dragged along by Donghyuck like a bodyguard, and Mark taking up the rear. Mark did, in fact, manage to get them a table, making up a well-worded excuse about a student council meeting. They crowded into the corner, Jisung feeling a sense of impeding doom making him hunker down in the uncomfortable seat. “If I have to die at school can you guys at least make sure I die in the gym?”

“Ball _was_ life?” Donghyuck quipped, and Mark shot him a quelling look, patting Jisung’s hand gently. Chenle looked away again – glaring at the wall opposite him.

Renjun sighed, looking annoyed again. “Do you have so little faith in me?” with a wave of his hand, a click of his fingers, and a small explosion of dark red mist, a pile of old looking books appeared in the centre of the table. Jisung blinked, stunned silent. “You’re not dying at school, not if I have anything to do with it. That’s so lame.” Renjun said firmly, and pulled a book towards himself.

Mark reached for a book as well – but Donghyuck pulled his hand back in a lightning quick movement. “That one isn’t for mundanes.” He said quietly, taking the book himself.

“Mundane?” Jisung asked faintly.

“Human.” Chenle clarified softly. “You and Mark are mundanes.”

“Oh.” Jisung said. “So, you, Renjun, and Donghyuck are warlocks.”

Donghyuck snorted. “I’m a werewolf.” He puffed out his chest, and Mark rolled his eyes fondly.

“Oh.” Jisung said again, a little more faintly this time. _Right._ Monsters and magic were real, and he was human and helpless. A few hours passed, and Jisung received; a shock from an electrical socket he brushed against, thirteen papercuts, and his chair leg snapping, sending him tumbling to the ground again. He elected to stay there. As the bell went, Jisung felt his heart sink. “Well, this is it – guys, thank you for everything. Can you tell my cousin to sell my movie collection and give the proceeds to charity? Also if someone would-”

“Got it.” Renjun said, with something like a smirk playing on his lips. He exchanged a look with Donghyuck, who nodded, Mark looking between them in confusion. Chenle looked up with hope in his eyes. Jisung just waited with baited breath. Renjun turned to look down at him, closing the book and tossing it away carelessly. “Jisung, the curse can be broken by… _true love’s kiss_.”

It was like time froze, the distant sounds of students hurrying to escape the doldrums of school fading into nothing, the warm library air turning stifling and enclosing – as uncontrollably, his eyes slid to Chenle, who was staring hard at the table.

Jisung – a man of few coherent words, and even fewer coherent emotions – had no reasonable explanation for his heart’s sudden jump. Nor could he explicate why out of everyone at the table, including his very serious, and long term crush, his eyes went to Chenle’s adorably concentrated face.

 _“-Jisung!_ ”

Jisung started, making an unattractive grunting sound as Renjun clicked his fingers in front of his face. “Well? True love? Any ideas?”

Jisung blinked rapidly – thoughts once again stuttering to a halt as Chenle finally looked up. Jisung was surprised to see the clear blue irises of Chenle’s true eyes looking back into his, but not as surprised as he was to recognise the faint glint in them. _Hope_.

And then a lot of things made sense all at once.

Why he thought Chenle was as beautiful as he did, why he tolerated his constant volume, why he looked for his face in the stands every time he was on the court, why the first person he thought of when he knew he was dying was _him._

“Him.” He said abruptly, making the boy in question flinch slightly. He winced. “Sorry. Um. Chenle. I just – uh, I mean – you know. I guess. You. Will you, um – true love…?” he finished weakly. He wasn’t even sure if he had spoken English then.

But Chenle nodded slightly, eyes glossy.

Then it was like it was just the two of them in the ugly, grey walled, musty school library – as Chenle stood up shakily, Jisung slowly rising to his own feet, his school uniform prickling at his neck, school shoes pinching on his toes making him very aware of how wrong this should-be perfect moment was. Chenle looked too pretty to be surrounded by the trashy, boring books and the smell of dust. Jisung was suddenly _very_ aware that Chenle was just too pretty in general, as he moved closer to him.

Jisung swallowed nervously, and awkwardly leant down towards Chenle, who looked equally perturbed. Jisung hoped it wasn’t just him with butterflies, that the excited tumbling of his stomach wasn’t one-sided. Jisung had sweaty hands when Chenle linked their hands together, but the smaller boy didn’t seem to notice as he stretched up closer still.

Jisung could feel Chenle’s breath on his lips, and he forgot about the life-threatening curse, and suddenly all he could think about was how much he’d like to close the distance between them and have his first kiss with the only person he could picture doing it with.

Chenle’s hands were trembling slightly, and Jisung watched in fascination as his eyelids slid shut, quivering slightly. Jisung knew with sudden clarity that Chenle wouldn’t, _couldn’t,_ make the first move, and knew that he had to go for it, even if it went nowhere.

Jisung squeezed his eyes shut and jerked forwards.

He missed.

Well, mostly missed, his lips catching the corner of Chenle’s. He could feel them turn up in a smile, and it made his chest feel light. Taking a breath, he tried again, slowly.

He didn’t know what he had expected when his lips touched Chenle’s plush mouth – maybe some sort of physical visual, violent expulsion of magic. But instead, his butterflies just increased, a heady warmth tickling up through his body. It felt… right. A different sort of magic.

Chenle pulled away first from their chaste embrace.

Jisung let him go.

He was watching him nervously, bottom lip caught between his teeth. “Do you… do you feel different? Is the curse broken?”

Jisung blinked, looking down at himself. No – same grey and green tie, white shirt and ugly brown shorts. He looked the same. “I don’t know… should I feel different?” It was the wrong thing to say, and Jisung watched hopelessly as Chenle’s face crumpled. But before he could explain himself, soothe the hurt with an explanation – even though the curse didn’t seem to have broken, he could die happy knowing that Chenle liked him too, and that it had been a nice first kiss – Renjun cleared his throat.

Jisung looked over to him, flushing as he realised that he had done all that in font of an _audience_. Renjun was smirking. “No. Because there was no curse.” He said dramatically. Donghyuck fist-bumped him, as Mark gasped, scandalized.

Jisung shook his head slightly. “Sorry, I think I just had a stroke. Can you repeat yourself?”

Chenle groaned as a slightly more manic look spread across Renjun’s face. “The only curse on you was one I made _myself_.” He said, almost victoriously. The small boy gestured between the two of them violently. “Don’t you know how annoying the pair of you are? Pining? _All the time?_ ” he said, voice slightly hysterical. Donghyuck and Mark each took a hold of his wrists and gently moved his outstretched hands to his sides.

Jisung turned to Chenle. “You were… pining over me?” he asked. Chenle coloured prettily, his skin rippling, scales appearing briefly. Jisung watched the movement with his customary amazement. When he met Chenle’s eyes again, the boy was grinning.

“I didn’t think you… well.” He said, swaying slightly in place. “I _never_ thought… _me_ , and, _you_ …” he said, sounding as dumbstruck as Jisung felt.

Donghyuck rolled his eyes. “Okay, we’re leaving. We’ll see you tomorrow, losers.” Jisung just nodded absently as the threesome passed them. Renjun reached out as he passed, tapping hard on the centre of Jisung’s forehead. A cold trickling sensation trailed over him, like water had been tipped on him – but as it reached his toes, he felt… lighter.

Then it was just the pair of them in the silent library. Jisung took a deep breath.

“ _Do you-”_

_“Would you-”_

Chenle blushed again. “Sorry, you go first.” He bowed his head.

Jisung grinned. “No, you.”

Chenle rolled his eyes. “Would you like to…” he took a visible gulp of air. “Go on a date? With me?” his voice was bordering on shrill.

Jisung just took a step closer, watching as Chenle’s eyes widened. He took Chenle’s hand again, privately relieved he wasn’t _as_ sweaty as before. Chenle’s hand was still shaky. He smiled at his pretty warlock boy. “Nothing would make me happier.”

Chenle’s answering grin was the _best_ kind of magic.


End file.
